Police have clashed with protesters outside Kosovo’s Parliament over plans to limit the powers of a Hague-based war crimes court.
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Police → clash → court
The violence broke out on Monday evening after Parliament ended its session without passing the proposed changes, which concerned the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a court dedicated to crimes committed during the Kosovo War from 1998 to 2000.
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which → break → 2000
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Vucic → launch → elections
Founded in 2015, the court is an independent part of Kosovo’s judicial system, based in The Hague and staffed internationally.
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court → found → Hague
Critics, however, have accused the court’s verdicts of being overly punitive.
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Critics → accuse → verdicts
The amendments before Parliament would limit sentences to 15 years, allow sentences to be served in Kosovo and permit appeals to the self-declared republic’s Supreme Court.
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sentences → limit → Court
The changes passed a first reading earlier on Monday, but Parliament adjourned before a second vote could be held.
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vote → pass → Monday
Several hundred protesters had gathered outside the Parliament building in Pristina, including supporters and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the ethnic Albanian rebel force that fought Serbian troops in the war.
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that → gather → war
Some tried to block lawmakers from leaving after the session ended.
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session → try → lawmakers
Police used tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protesters, some of whom threw flares and firecrackers.
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some → use → flares
Naser Syla, the emergency director at a hospital in Pristina, told The Associated Press news agency that 12 people were injured, including 11 civilians.
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people → tell → civilians
The legislation follows the September 16 convictions of former President Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA commanders for war crimes.
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legislation → follow → crimes
Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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Thaci → sentence → prison
His co-defendants received prison terms ranging from 13 to 25 years.
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defendants → receive → years
They have all denied the charges.
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They → deny → charges
The rulings prompted weeks of protests and were unanimously condemned by Kosovo’s Parliament in late September.
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rulings → prompt → September
The question of reforming the court has also become tied to the political battle over Kosovo’s presidency.
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question → reform → presidency
Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the self-declared republic has until October 6 to elect a president.
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republic → rule → president
If lawmakers fail to do so, Parliament will be dissolved, and Kosovo will face another early election.
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Kosovo → fail → election
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the largest opposition party and sponsor of the bill, has hinged its support for electing a president to the successful passage of the changes.
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Party → hinge → changes
Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje party, or the Self-Determination Movement, wants the presidential vote to take place first.
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vote → govern → place
Kurti backed allowing the bill to proceed but told Parliament on Monday that the changes had been rushed.
He has also said the appeals process should be used to challenge the controversial September convictions.
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process → back → convictions
Kosovo created the Specialist Chambers under pressure from Western allies to prosecute alleged crimes by KLA members.
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Kosovo → create → members
It was based outside Kosovo partly due to concerns about political pressure and threats to witnesses.
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It → base → witnesses
The court remains deeply contentious in Kosovo, where many people regard the KLA as the force that fought Serbian repression and led the self-declared republic towards declaring independence.
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that → remain → independence
The 1998-99 war killed about 13,000 people, most of them ethnic Albanians, and forced about one million Kosovo Albanians from their homes.
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most → kill → homes
The conflict ended after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign against Serbian forces.
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conflict → end → forces
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade does not recognise its sovereignty.
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Belgrade → declare → sovereignty
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